With the Bengals QB Joe Burrow (calf) questionable for their Monday night matchup against the Rams, they have signed former St. Louis Battlehawks starting quarterback A.J. McCarron to their practice squad.
On Saturday, Bengals head coach Zac Taylor informed reporters that Burrow was listed as questionable versus the Los Angeles Rams, and the Bengals would not commit to Burrow playing on Monday night. ‘We’ll see,” Taylor said on if if he thinks Burrow will play.
Burrow injured his calf during the fourth quarter of last Sunday’s home loss to the Ravens. After missing Thursday’s practice, the Bengals quarterback returned to practice, but in a limited capacity.
McCarron spent the majority of his pro career in Cincinnati after being selected by the club in the fifth round of the 2015 draft. During his three-year run with the Bengals, McCarron saw three starts (2-1) and appeared in 11 games, throwing for 1,173 yards with six touchdowns and three interceptions.
The 33-year-old hasn’t played an NFL snap since the 2020 season but had playing time with the XFL in 2023. In nine games with the St. Louis Battlehawks, McCarron led the XFL with 24 passing touchdowns and 26 touchdowns overall. He also posted an XFL-best 68.8% completion rate, and ranked 2nd in the league with 203 completions and 2,150 passing yards.
McCarron signed a free-agent contract with Buffalo in 2018 but was traded to the Raiders for a fifth-round pick ahead of the season. He had a two-year stay in Houston as a backup before landing in Atlanta in 2021, but a torn ACL that preseason ended his year. McCarron then elected to play in the XFL once rehabilitating his knee injury.
Since the conclusion of the XFL regular season, the XFL saw its players sign 68 contracts, in addition to receiving nearly 200 invitations to camps or tryouts. The St. Louis Battlehawks will retain McCarron’s rights should he return to the XFL.
